Date Published: 30-May-2011

Cork City 3

Mervue United 0

Jason Byrne

Three first half Cork City goals disposed of an under-strength Mervue United at Turner’s Cross on Thursday night as the home side maintained their push for First Division honours this season.

Mervue manager Johnny Glynn is a firm fans’ favourite on Leeside as a result of his spell with the club as a player in the mid 1990s, but he won’t have enjoyed his trip south, having been sent to the stands in the final minute after a row with City boss Tommy Dunne, and having served a four-game ban at the start of the season, Glynn faces an anxious wait to see what level of punishment the FAI decide to upon as a result of his dismissal.

Mervue goalkeeper Eoin Martin, who started his first League of Ireland game since November 2009 after suffering a horrific arm-break, had a night to forget as Graham Cummins, Davin O’Neill and Gearoid Morrissey all netted for Tommy Dunne’s promotion hopefuls.

The game was brought forward to 6.30pm as a result of problems with the floodlights at Turners Cross, and to add to the inconvenience of a Thursday night away fixture, a mixture of work and exam commitments meant that regular starters Jason Molloy, Peter Dravins, Mike Tierney, and Eric Browne missed the trip south; while Nicky Curran and goalkeeper Ger Hanley both missed out through injury.

After a bright start from Mervue where they looked comfortable in the southern sunshine, Rory Gaffney and David Goldbey had early efforts comfortably saved by Mark McNulty in the Cork goal.

But on a swift attack after just seven minutes, Gearoid Morrissey’s cross from the left flank fell to Graham Cummins. His first effort was heroically blocked by James Casserly, but the rebound fell kindly for Cummins who made no mistake at his second bite of the cherry.

In the 20 minutes that followed, Cork barely had a glimpse at goal as Mervue battled to find a leveller as John Mountney and Rory Gaffney saw long range drives sail wide of the mark.

But suddenly seven minutes before the break a killer blow was inflicted by Cork, when Davin O’Neill drifted inside the box and his shot was fumbled by Martin and bobbled into the net.

Rubbing salt in Mervue’s wounds, Cork added a third five minutes later when again Cork broke on the left and Danny Murphy found Morrissey unmarked at the back post, and he had time to take a touch and poke home from close range.

In the second half the hosts stepped down a gear but to their credit Mervue battled to salvage something, and almost forced a goal 10 minutes in when Noel Varley’s strong drive from the edge of the dangerzone took a wicked deflection and almost spun into McNulty’s net.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Sentinel.